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SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP, Cycle A/B
"Stewardship by the Book," written by Sharon Hueckel. Used with permission.

November 9, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
As in today's second reading, one person lays the foundation, and another builds upon it. We may not always see fruits of our labors and donations, but they remain in place for other people to build upon.

November 16, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Good stewards are like the industrious and reliable servants in today’s Gospel, prudently using and multiplying the gifts entrusted to them by God.

November 23, Feast of Christ the King
When the Son of Man comes in glory, may we be among those who have fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and clothed the naked. For Jesus tells us clearly that it is those who have demonstrated good stewardship by sharing their gifts with the less fortunate who will receive God’s blessing and inherit the kingdom

November 30, First Sunday of Advent (Cycle B)
We are the servants of God, each with his or her own task. We will be judged good stewards if, at His coming, He finds us ready and conscientiously pursuing the tasks to which we have been called.

December 7, Second Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist's call to repentance is echoed in the US Bishop's pastoral letter on stewardship: "Christians must beg God for the grace of conversion: the grace to know who they are, to whom they belong, how they are to live - the grace to repent and change and grow, the grace to become good disciples and stewards.

December 14, Third Sunday of Advent
All of the people in today's readings - the prophet Isaiah, the Virgin Mary, St. Paul, St. John the Baptist - seemed to understand clearly and rejoice in what God was calling them to be and to do. Do I?

December 21, Fourth Sunday of Advent
In the first reading, God promises King David that his house and his kingdom will endure forever. It is through Mary's "Yes" - "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." - that the promise finds fulfillment.

December 25, Christmas Day
The shepherds who heard the joyous news from the angels on that first Christmas night and then hurried to find the infant Savior must surely have been changed by that experience. How has His coming changed my life?

December 28, Feast of the Holy Family
"Whatever you do," says St. Paul to the Colossians, "...do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him." And so it is that we offer our gifts in the Eucharist "through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit ..."

January 1, Feast of Mary, Mother of God
The first reading today recalls God's special blessing upon the Israelites.  The Lord has been gracious to us as well, pouring into our hearts that spirit which knows Him as Father and makes us His children.  May we, like Mary, treasure these things in our hearts and live gratefully.

January 4, Epiphany
The three wise men who came from the East to pay homage to the infant Jesus brought Him rich gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as part of their worship. What gifts have I brought to this celebration to offer to the newborn Savior?

January 11, Baptism of Our Lord
Today we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. The US bishops’ pastoral on stewardship reminds us that Baptism gives all of His disciples a share in His priestly work and calls them "to offer up the world and all that is in it - especially themselves - to the Lord of all."

January 18, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today's first reading, we hear Samuel respond eagerly, "Here I am!" each time the Lord calls him. May we, too, be listening for the call of God in our lives and be ready to say like the Psalmist, "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will."

January 25, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
There is a certain urgency in today’s Gospel as Jesus calls His first disciples – Andrew and Simon, James and John. Each one follows Jesus immediately, unhesitatingly abandoning nets and boats and father and fellow-workers. To what is Jesus calling me – at this moment, in these circumstances? What will I need to abandon in order to follow Him?

February 1, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Moses told the people, "A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen." God still provides among His people the gifts and talents necessary to continue the work of His church. What gifts are yours to share?

February 8, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Like St. Paul in the second reading, the good steward can say, "I do all that I do for the sake of the Gospel in the hope of having a share in its blessings."

February 15, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s second reading, St. Paul urges the Corinthians to "do all for the glory of God." If we follow that advice in everything we do, we cannot help but be good stewards.

February 22, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Forgiveness, too, is a gift from God. Freed from the paralysis of sin, the man in today’s Gospel was able to stand and give witness to the power of God. How do I let sin cripple me? Am I a good steward of the gift of God’s forgiveness?

February 25, Ash Wednesday
In today’s gospel, Jesus warns that our giving must be done quietly, without hoping for recognition or applause. But He also promises that God, who sees even our most secret deeds, will reward those who fast, pray, and give alms.

March 1, First Sunday of Lent
The waters of baptism make us part of the new covenant in Christ. But the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship reminds us that "there is a fundamental obligation arising from the sacrament of baptism … that people place their gifts, their resources – their selves – at God’s service in and through the Church."

March 8, Second Sunday of Lent
Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. St. Paul reminds us that God Himself "did not spare his own Son." Are my gifts to the Lord - of my resources, of my time, of myself – also sacrificial?

March 15, Third Sunday of Lent
"You shall not covet" is perhaps a difficult commandment to keep in our consumer society. But as Christian stewards, we know that we are the recipients and caretakers of God’s many gifts. May this understanding that all is gift help us be less resentful of the gifts of others.

March 22, Fourth Sunday of Lent
All that we have and all that we are comes from the Lord. "We are truly his handiwork," says St. Paul in the second reading, "created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance."

March 29, Fifth Sunday of Lent
"If anyone would serve me," says Jesus in today’s Gospel, "let him follow me; where I am, there will my servant be." In what ways is Jesus inviting me to follow Him? What service is He asking of me?

April 5, Palm Sunday
Good stewards strive to conform their lives to that of Christ – emptying themselves of all pride and putting themselves at the service of others.

April 12, Easter Sunday
Alleluia! Christ is risen and is victorious over sin and death! We are good stewards of our faith if, like St. Paul, we share this good news whenever and wherever we can.


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